08 July 2009

Funeral for Cameron Clark

Today, we attended the funeral for Cameron Clark. He is the 16 year old son of our friends Zane and Denise Clark. The chapel was full...clear through the overflow and onto the stage. It was so emotional. Cameron was a great kid and always had a smile on his face. The opening song for the funeral was "Scatter Sunshine"...because that is what Cameron did wherever he went. This is the first verse of the song.

In a world where sorrowEver will be known,Where are found the needyAnd the sad and lone,How much joy and comfortYou can all bestow,If you scatter sunshineEv’rywhere you go.Scatter sunshine all along your way.Cheer and bless and brightenEv’ry passing day.

Darwin was his scout master when we lived here in Juneau before, and was asked to speak/share a memory at the funeral. Brooklin also participated in the youth choir. They sang "I Know that My Redeemer Lives"...it was beautiful. I am grateful for the plan of salvation and the knowledge I have that death is not the end. I know that our spirits lived with God before we came to earth, and I know that when we die we can return to live with God and be reunited with our loved ones. Our prayers of comfort are with his family.

I have included the article from the newspaper and Cameron's obituary.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Story last updated at 7/3/2009 - 10:05 am

Teen dies after fall on Mt. McGinnis

'It's just a shame that a young kid had to lose his life over something like this'

By Eric Morrison | JUNEAU EMPIRE

The body of a 16-year-old boy who went missing during a hike Wednesday afternoon on Mount McGinnis was recovered Thursday.

Alaska State Troopers have identified the boy as Cameron Clark. It is estimated that Clark fell between 700 and 1,200 feet down a snow chute on the north side of the mountain while attempting to recover his backpack, Trooper Chris Umbs said.

"It's just a shame that a young kid had to lose his life over something like this," Umbs said. "It's just one of those things that's an accident and you hope that it doesn't happen again."

Clark's body was found just after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday with forward-looking infrared, an imaging technology that can detect body heat up to a few miles away, said Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters. Weather and the terrain delayed the recovery on the 4,228-foot mountain located near the Mendenhall Glacier.

"It was highly technical to get to where he was. They didn't want to chance putting any of themselves at risk," said Umbs.

The search began Wednesday afternoon, when two friends he was hiking with reported Clark hadn't returned from a descent to retrieve his backpack.

"They didn't see him fall, they didn't hear anything, but he never came back and he didn't answer to their calls," Peters said.

Troopers received a call at about 2:15 p.m. that the teen was missing.

Search and rescue workers were dropped off partway up the mountain due to poor visibility and hiked to an area near the summit, where they met the two other teens at about 5 p.m. They were found uninjured.

Rescuers were sent to recover the body at about 6 a.m. Thursday.

"They were dropped off about 500 feet below where his location was," Umbs said. "They went through snow and ice to get to his location."

Rescuers arrived at the body near the 3,500-foot level of Mount McGinnis at about 9 a.m.

"After locating the body today it's very apparent that he had a horrendous fall," she said Thursday.

Clark's family could not be reached for comment. The boy attended Thunder Mountain High School and was a runner who had won the Ben Blackgoat Memorial Perseverance Trail Run more than once, according to Empire archives.

Cameron Hal Clark

Juneau Empire

Lifelong Juneau resident Cameron Hal Clark died July 1, 2009, on Mount McGinnis in Juneau. He was 16.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. today, July 8, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5100 Glacier Highway, near Western Auto.

Born Oct. 27, 1992, he enjoyed being outdoors and loved skiing. When the weather warmed up and he couldn't ski anymore, he could be found riding his bike, or on any nearby trampoline, hiking, camping or playing ultimate frisbee, his family said. Years ago, he participated in and won many trail and road races with the Southeast Road Runners.

He was preparing for a Chilkoot Trail hike with his scout troop and was very close to achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Along with his active lifestyle, he made time to receive a number of scholastic achievements and awards.

"He will be greatly missed by all those he loved and who loved him," his family said. "His exuberance for life and his bright smile will always be remembered."

In lieu of flowers, his family would appreciate a written thought or expression of a positive experience you have shared with Cameron, or a donation to Juneau Mountain Rescue, Inc., P.O. Box 21282, Juneau, AK 99802.

3 comments:

What a real tragedy. He even looks younger than 16 in the picture. And only 4 days younger than Marnie. It must have been his time to go but how hard would that be. Are his sister and brother older or younger?